I HAVE never seen anything like Bobby Robson's press conference at Newcastle United on Tuesday. It was an extraordinary performance - one, despite my respect and admiration for Mr Robson, I suspect he will come to regret.

He summoned the reporters to St James's Park but, instead of giving them a story, he gave them a damn good telling off. It reminded me of a headteacher who storms into a classroom, wipes the floor with the naughty children, and then flies out again. The reporters, poor lambs, were so shellshocked they couldn't bring themselves to ask any questions.

The furore was over the departure of Mr Robson's assistant coach, Mick Wadsworth, who came in for criticism last season from some reporters and fans over Newcastle's policy of bringing in inexpensive players from South America. Mr Robson blamed that criticism for Mr Wadsworth's departure to Southampton. But then he blamed Southampton's new manager, Stuart Gray, who he said was a "clever bugger" who had "manipulated" Mr Wadsworth away.

Yet many of the reporters present will not have had anything to do with criticism of Mr Wadsworth. In my dealings with the media, I have always found it pays to tackle directly the individuals - and their editors - who I have felt have been unfair to me. I talk to them in a diplomatic way and hopefully resolve the situation.

Mr Robson, who is much wiser than me because of his vast international experience of dealing with the media, may have felt he had already tried this avenue, but he still had the option of banning the individual offenders from St James's, rather than blanket bombing the entire media.

The reason I suspect that, with reflection, he will regret his outburst is that Newcastle is a club that still needs every bit of goodwill from every quarter. After an undistinguished season, it still has to get over its public relations problems caused by dogs, shirts and seats. While I shall continue to support and respect Mr Robson, I cannot think his outburst will have improved his club's reputation.

THERE are members of the media, though, who are deliberately mischievous. I was surprised by how many, after the Jill Dando murder trial, went in search of criticism of the police investigation - how it had dragged on, how it had been distracted by various theories, how there was only circumstantial evidence.

All of Miss Dando's family and friends saw the questions off with a dead bat. They know that the media works by overlooking the majority who are content and concentrating on the single person who can be provoked into an injudicious remark.

Because, whatever you may think about the verdict, the Metropolitan Police did a good job. Under the severest of scrutiny, they found their man, compiled their case and collected their evidence which convinced 12 good men and true - well, 11 actually as one went home - that Barry George was guilty.

In a country that abides by the decisions of its judicial process, that is a successful investigation.

A GROUP of people dressed up as missiles approaches the most sensitive military installation in the country. You don't have to be a mastermind to realise that something is afoot and, if you were going to protest about American military plans, you'd do it around Independence Day, July 4. But, no, not at Menwith Hill where you can break through the fences with a pair of wire-cutters. And you can go back next day and find the hole still there so you can walk through it once more.

And despite hundreds of people being involved in the protest, the intelligence at the base doesn't appear to have picked up any tip-offs. The prima facie evidence here is that this requires a serious investigation.

Published: 05/07/2001